During a parliamentary sitting on Tuesday, 19 August 2025, opposition MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal called for Malaysia’s largest flower, the Rafflesia, to be given a new name.
The proposal was made during a parliamentary sitting in conjunction with the upcoming 68th National Day, Malaysia Gazette reported.
Wan Fayhsal argued that the flower’s name, taken from British colonial figure Sir Stamford Raffles, was no longer suitable after more than six decades of independence.
A Call to Break Free from Colonial Legacy
In his intervention during Acting Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani’s winding-up speech, Wan Fayhsal said the country should not continue to live under “the shadow of colonial heritage.”
He explained that the flower had been named after Stamford Raffles, whom he described as a colonial figure lacking morals and ethics, yet Malaysia had bestowed such a beautiful name on the flower, according to NST.
He further suggested that a new name could be considered, even remarking that naming the flower after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would be acceptable “as long as it is better.”
Acting Minister Response
Responding briefly, Johari noted the suggestion with a touch of humour, saying the ministry was open to receiving alternative names.
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